Alyssa A. Lappen

Alyssa A. Lappen describes herself as an "investigative journalist", former editor for mainstream magazines, or "a freelance journalist and poet, whose work frequently focuses on Jewish themes". Her recent articles often appear in right-wing websites like FrontPage Magazine, AmericanThinker, Midstream and JihadWatch.org. Her articles, which commonly defend Israel, are often published by Campus Watch, DiscoverTheNetwork, Israel Hasbara Committee.

Lappen is currently a "Senior Fellow" at the American Center for Democracy. She is also very active in submitting "book reviews" to Amazon and often copied through to other online book sellers websites.

Background
Between February 2006 and June 2007 a section of the Ariel Center for Policy Research's website, NATIV Online, listed Lappen as one of its "authors and associates." :  Alyssa A. Lappen is a US-based investigative journalist focusing on the Middle East and related issues. Her work has appeared frequently in FrontPageMagazine.com, AmericanThinker.com, the Center for Security Policy and other internet and print journals.

The current biographical profile on the Ariel Center for Policy Research website states that "Ms. Lappen is not associated with the ACPR or NATIV."

In December 2006, the website of the American Center for Democracy listed Lappen as a "fellow" of the organization and featured a biographical note which stated that : Alyssa A. Lappen is a Senior Fellow at the American Center for Democracy. She is a former senior editor of Institutional Investor, Working Woman and Corporate Finance. She was previously an associate editor at Forbes Magazine and an editor and staff reporter for several other publications. Since 2001, Ms. Lappen has applied her investigative reporting skills to the Middle East and matters of American Security. She holds a B.A. in English Literature and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Tulane University.

Contesting a media story
In 2004, Lappen was one of those arguing that the killing of Mohammed Al Dura, a child shot while sheltering from gunfire behind his father in a Gaza street, was a hoax. The shooting was filmed by a French TV camera team and broadcast around the world. An abstract of a talk by Lappen at a conference sponsored by Americans for a Safe Israel stated :  Alyssa Lappen a prominent participant in the efforts to expose media bias against Israel detailed the Mohammed Al Dhury (the child supposedly killed by Israelis while cowering with his father) fraud perpetrated by the French media, and circulated throughout the world as an example of Israeli cruelty.

Book reviews
An internet search on ("Alyssa A. Lappen",jihad, ) will certainly land one in on of Lappen's many eager reviews of books which lambast "Islamist jihadists". There are quite a few on the Amazon website.

Lappen's review of "Brigitte Gabriel" book: Because they hate us. NB: this is purportedly a book by a Lebanese Christian and how the "Islamicists" are out to murder the Christians... Alyssa states:
 * One cannot praise Brigitte Gabriel highly enough. For more than five years, Gabriel has sacrificed everything to bring the truth about Islamic jihad to the American public and it is gratifying and most wonderful that her message at last is reaching the public--in this incredible book--and even through the mainstream press, which too long refused to detail the sufferings of jihad survivors... (first paragraph of 794 word "review").

Memorable Quotes
From an Amazon review:
 * MEMRI is a critically important source of news from the Middle East for anyone who cares about the future of civilization. For more than six years, this non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. has brought to a global audience the English translations of Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Hebrew and other Middle Eastern news, speeches, broadcasts, textbooks and even television series such as the anti-Semitic "Horseman Without a Horse" broadcast in Egypt during Ramadan several years ago... (cont'd)

Recent Articles
(this section is under review)

Affiliations

 * American Center for Democracy – Senior Fellow
 * AmericanThinker.com – frequent contributor
 * Ariel Center for Policy Research – Listed as author and associate

Articles published in

 * Campus Watch
 * Discover the Network
 * FrontPage Magazine
 * Midstream
 * WorldNetDaily

Contact
Website: www.alyssaalappen.org

Resources

 * Paul de Rooij, "Undermining Civil Society: David Horowitz's Corrosive Projects", CounterPunch, 11 April 2005. Contains an analysis of the key Horowitz projects and with specific references to the activities of Alyssa Lappen.